The Londoner, who emerged victorious in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, picked up more than one fifth of the vote

He proved even more popular than Jessica Ennis’s heptathlon win, which had 17 per cent, Bradley Wiggins’ cycling gold with eight per cent, and Andy Murray’s singles victory, which registered five per cent.

The survey also found four out of five people said the Games made them proud to be British, while almost half said they shed a tear while watching events.

Around a tenth of respondents said the Games had encouraged them to take up sport, with cycling, running and gymnastics the most popular choices.

The poll of 2,000 people, was commissioned to coincide with the launch of the BBC’s official London 2012 Olympic Games DVD.